FDPP1115 Working in a Team Assignment Sample

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Introduction: Enhancing Teamwork

Our organisations continuously focus on working in a team or group to progress towards a common objective. Currently our small business is providing payroll solution by evaluating and observing payroll strategies of client organisation. Besides, each of the three team members is responsible and committed to achieving organisational goals. However, lack of experience in team working resulting into operational and decision-making difficulty.

Therefore, to develop an in-depth understanding of the working mechanism team process which occurs within the work environment has been analysed. The primary analysis focuses on the effective operation of a team environment while investigating and comparing different communication methods which might be beneficial to improve overall team operation. Along with that, different techniques required for effective team coordination have also been reviewed. Team structure and development requirements have also been evaluated by considering different team development theories. Finally, based on the conclusion this assessment provides a recommendation to ensure effective teamwork to improve communication and support team development.

Effective Team Working

Teamworking has multiple benefits because it helps to develop a structure which motivates team members to work together and achieve common goals by incorporating skills and knowledge (Mobolade and Akinade, 2021). Therefore, it can be stated then that organisations which focus on team development can easily exchange ideas and provide creative solutions to meet the unique needs of customers. Another study also highlighted that collaboration among team members not only develops synergy among individuals but also assists in communicating ideas to achieve common organisational goals (Stepanova et al. 2020). Without respecting diverse perspectives individuals might not be able to encourage creativity and innovation because this might escalate the risk of conflict.

Figure 1: Tuckman’s Team Development Model

(Source: Rojas, 2021)

More specifically, Tuckman’s team development model highlights at the forming stage, the flat structure of the team allows team members to establish a relationship and define roles easily due to the absence of a rigid hierarchy. Along with that, the storming stage of team development can help an individual assert themselves and encourage open dialogue through navigation (Stepanova et al. 2020). Eventually, shared responsibility and collaboration would help to develop a strong structure that can promote cohesion and mutual support while making decisions. As a result, team members were able to excel in the performing stage due to the absence of a bureaucracy. This indicates that the flat hierarchical structure of these payroll teams not only enabled agile decision-making but also assisted in promoting cohesion that eventually led to high performance.

Figure 2: Belbin’s Team Roles

(Source: Belbin and Brown, 2022)

It is also needed to highlight that team members who are involved in payroll activities need to employ specific strategies to enhance effectiveness. Implementation of Belbin’s team role theory can guide team members to work according to the assigned role that matches their strengths and weaknesses (Belbin and Brown, 2022). For instance, team leaders need to identify predominant roles which include complete finisher, team worker and implementer. Similarly, our team of three payroll specialist focuses on implementing specifications according to their strengths and weaknesses. For example, I am responsible for reporting to the payroll team leader as a resource investigator which eventually helps the entire team to resolve and make decisions on payroll discrepancies. Along with that, balance of roles, distribution and resources, investigation is necessary because this helps to maintain the necessary function of the entire team and achieve desirable goals.

However, payroll reports need to be completed through a collection of payroll data and reviewing timesheet data because this helps to ensure the effectiveness of the team (Mobolade and Akinade, 2021). In a word, it can be stated that Belbin’s team role theory can potentially help individual team members optimise performance at the team level and individual levels. However, our team members faced difficulty in implementing overall payroll the strategy Which requires further skill development or role allocation. Another study also highlighted that implementation of payroll policy is required within the operating region as this assist in minimising legal liability and ensures effective operations of the entire team (Belbin and Brown, 2022). In addition, epitome members need to promote harmony and collaboration within the team because this ensures easy decision-making.

Figure 3: Hackman's Input-Process-Output Model

(Source: Decius et al. 2021)

On the other hand, Hackman's input-process output model might also be effective in optimising the payroll team. For instance, the availability of necessary resources holds the potential to ensure team effectiveness as it is an important part of input (Decius et al. 2021). For example, ensuring accessibility to payroll software, maintaining adequate staffing levels and providing effective training to team members needed to achieve goals. In addition, clear and attainable goals need to be developed as this helps the team to make progress accordingly. Another study also suggested that to ensure the accuracy of the payroll process authority needs to establish an efficient payroll system by maintaining timelines and adhering to compliance and regulations (Anyim, 2020).

Similarly, cross training of team members is also necessary as these might be effective in enhancing the resilience and flexibility of team members according to the changing compliance and regulations. Besides, it is also found that to ensure effective output organisations need to measure the accuracy of the timeline throughout the payroll processing because this assesses to ensure employee satisfaction (Decius et al. 2021). However, without a regular evaluation of the process and identification of areas that need improvement, effective operations of the payroll team might be challenging. Considering these findings, it can be stated that organisations must align input, process and outputs to the existing framework of the payroll system as these assists in streamlining operations and improving performance which eventually delivers high-quality service.

Communications in Payroll

In the above analysis, it is evident that the effective operation of the payroll team depends on multiple internal and external factors. This section of the analysis evaluates different communication methods which might be suitable to manage the activities of the payroll team effectively through the implementation of practical communication techniques. For instance, the payroll team opted for both face-to-face and virtual communication to achieve common goals and objectives. As opined by Folger et al. (2021) communication strategies play an important role in the maintenance of team functions as this helps in conflict resolution and promotes better collaboration. Therefore, it can be stated that to improve team productivity business organisations need to implement necessary steps for effective communication. Additionally, transparency of communication strategies also needs to be enhanced to accelerate the decision-making process and minimise the likelihood of conflict (Folger et al. 2021). Similarly, our team regularly prefers to communicate through digital platforms to achieve common objectives that helps our team to track progress and achieve goals.

Figure 4: Social Exchange Theory of Communication

(Source: Jeong and Oh, 2017)

In a similar context, social exchange theory highlighted that the engagement of individual team members in communication is necessary as these maximise rewards and minimises the cost of team operations (Jeong and Oh, 2017). Besides, we prioritise face-to-face communication to discuss sensitive payroll data and evaluate innovative ideas to manage the performance of the payroll system. It is also noted that the digitisation of payroll systems and the inclusion of cloud computing technologies help organisations manage documentation and performance monitoring activity effectively (Zhao and Rabiei, 2022). The study also highlighted that a cloud-based payroll system also ensures scalability and promotes growth by meeting organisational needs. However, our business needed initial infrastructural investment that resulted in financial constraints, but this eventually promoted collaboration along with numerous benefits of increased eficiency. This approach not only helps to enhance productivity but also assists in conflict resolution effectively conveying information to each member. This indicates that a face-to-face meeting is beneficial for complex decision-making as this makes negotiation easy and allows effective introduction and immediate evaluation of feedback.

In this regard, communication accommodation theory can also be implemented to accommodate communication style by considering the adaptation tendency of team members (Presbitero, 2021). For example, the use of instant messaging platforms can help payroll team members verify communication needs and ensure the availability of data in a flexible manner. Besides it is also needed to highlight that multiple communication methods and the inclusion of different digital communication strategies such as email, push up messaging and video conferencing can be effective. Multinational organisations are prioritising instant messaging platforms to promote inclusivity and ensure flexibility of communication approach because this helps team members to feel satisfied and understood (Yuan and Wu, 2020). However, it is not negligible that the effectiveness of communication largely relies on the richness of media or communication therefore organisations need to opt for a specific strategy that holds the capability to resolve queries quickly.

Figure 5: 7C’s of Communication

(Source: Chmielewska et al. 2022)

Additionally, studies have suggested that routine updates can be effective in resolving complex issues and making decisions about sensitive payroll matters (Chmielewska et al. 2022). Implementation of an effective communication strategy might help to develop a nuanced understanding and provide immediate clarification about discrepancies. However, authorities need to be aware of the resource availability unless the context of communication might be challenging. Another study also highlighted that the 7Cs of communication guide team members to communicate effectively by providing a checklist (Buljac-Samardzic et al. 2020). More specifically, the maintenance of coherence and development of conscious, concrete, clear correct, and courteous communication strategies help one remember to easily understand and share ideas with ambiguity and accuracy. This will eventually help to prevent misunderstandings among members involved within the payroll team. Another study also suggested that, to optimise and enhance collaboration efficiency communication strategy needs to be addressed by leveraging strategies according to the needs of team members (Buljac-Samardzic et al. 2020). Without fostering positive relationships and maintaining a courteous tone team member might not be able to achieve overall effectiveness while managing payroll activities. Therefore, it is essential to foster transparency, trust and respect to build effective team communication strategies.

Figure 6: Hypodermic Needle Theory of Communication

(Source: Ahmad et al. 2022)

On the other hand, the hypodermic needle model of communication holds the efficiency to directly penetrate the mind of the audience and influence powerful decisions (Ahmad et al. 2022). This might be effective in directly influencing the behaviour and attitudes of team members. Additionally, the hypothermic needle mode of communication can provide important information about payroll policy and regulation updates. Availability of updated information will automatically provide procedural guidelines which will eventually help to effectively transmit operational strategies at the team level. Therefore, every payroll team should consider these factors and critically evaluate pieces of information before making a decision. In a word, it can be stated that the target-specific needs and concise communication strategy can be helpful to ensure the effectiveness of the payroll team (Yuan and Wu, 2020). This will eventually help the team to absorb resistance without facing considerable challenges. This approach will eventually help to minimise misunderstanding and maximise performance efficiency by streamlining communication while critically reviewing information accurately.

Team Development

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Active Experimentation

The performance efficiency of the team also largely depends on team development strategies or the structure of the team. In a similar context, experts have highlighted that effective team development assists in enhancing communication effectiveness, improves coordination, ensures collaboration and minimises conflict (Hindarto, 2023). Therefore, to lead a team successfully and maintain the productivity of team members, a suitable team structure needs to be chosen. In addition, the inclusive work environment can be helpful in cultivating team collaboration this helps members feel motivated and valued. For instance, it is needed to highlight that our payroll team follows a flat team structure which involves three members. Therefore, it can be characterised by a minimal hierarchical level which helps individuals to maintain information flow.

Concrete Experience

Additionally, studies also highlighted that a decentralised team provides unique opportunities at the time of team development by accelerating the decision-making process (Vaida and ?erban, 2021). Most importantly, team members need to understand and appreciate different ideas of members while fostering mutual respect and cooperation. This specific approach eventually supports team collaboration and ensures effective operations. However, it is found that successful team leaders prefer to review the team dynamics regularly because these assets address imbalances and conflicts before occurrence (Blank, 2020). This approach can support to creation positive work environment. Moreover, it can be stated that regular review of team dynamics will enable the chosen work environment to function with maximum efficiency by maintaining cohesiveness and accuracy while payroll processing.

Reflective Observation

However, our team members faced issues in prioritising decision-making due to the absence of appropriate guidelines. In a similar context, experts have highlighted that the lack of formal rules and regulations in organisations with flatter hierarchies might escalate decision-making challenges (Vaida and ?erban, 2021). The same issue has been observed while working as a part of the payroll team. However, the development of a team at an organisational level is a challenging task because team effectiveness depends on multiple factors (Morrison-Smith and Ruiz, 2020). Therefore, it can be stated that while bringing individuals together out organisation faced multiple challenges and complications to carry out every day processes which eventually result in conflict.

Abstract Conceptualisation

Figure 7: Communication Accommodation Theory

(Source: Presbitero, 2021)

Additionally, it is found that social exchange theory is beneficial to enhancing social bonds and trust among team members by facilitating more satisfactory collaboration strategies by fostering trust and relationship commitment (Zhang and Liu, 2022). In this regard, factors including communication quality and opportunistic behaviour of team members has been considered at the time of team development. The same study also highlighted that factors such as social dependency, financial dependency, quality of communication and level of opportunity determine relationship satisfaction at the team level (Jeong and Oh, 2017). However, it is challenging to develop one communication strategy within a diverse team due to the differences in cultural background ethnicity background and language background (Zhang and Liu, 2022). Therefore, it is essential to understand the adaptation rate of team members as this helps to develop a specific framework that supports specific tendencies and the needs of team members. In this situation, team members needed deliberate effort to ensure the effectiveness of decisions and facilitate the closure of payroll activities. Moreover, the proactive measure is required to address these prevailing issues.

Conclusion and Recommendation

At the end of the evaluation, it can be concluded that to enhance the effectiveness of the payroll team appointment of a complete finisher is necessary because this might eventually help to achieve collaborative goals by maintaining accuracy throughout the payroll processing. Along with that, decision prioritisation is necessary as this is essential to achieve team objectives and ensure success by eliminating the risk of delay. Implementation of the specific strategy might guide payroll team members to complete tasks by considering the influence of different factors. Besides, the implementation of a consensus-based decision-making strategy can also be effective in getting solutions while operating within a team with a flat hierarchy (Srdjevic et al. 2022). At the same time, clear decision-making criteria need to be established because this helps to provide guidelines to team members which eventually streamline the entire process by promoting transparency and collaboration. In a word consideration of transparency collaboration and inclusivity are needed to resolve decision-making issues existing within a flat hierarchical team.

References

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